A Not-Too-Serious Zine for Music & Art

Month: June 2016

If your prom was anything like mine, the DJ was on point with the let’s-get-this-party-started jams (“Low” by T-Pain anyone?) but was a real mess in the slow jamz department. Despite now being an ancient crone, I am still very obsessed with making the perfect collection of magical songs to soundtrack the prom of my dreams. I was of course inspired by all the great cinematic prom scenes (Virgin Suicides, Freaks and Geeks, Pretty in Pink) but I didn’t want the playlist to be stuck in any one decade. I picked songs spanning from the 50’s to 2016 that all evoke immediate nostalgia but hopefully add up to a timeless whole.

Danielle Ernst is a live music and portrait photographer based in Orange County and LA, known for her distinct style which frequently employs bright colors and surreal motifs to tell stories. Her super-cool live shots using prisms to distort the light make shows appear exactly the way they feel to an audience member: like a total dream. Through working with bands like Hunny, Walk the Moon, and Magic Man, she’s developed a style that’s completely hers and makes her stand out from the crowd of rising music photographers. I chatted with Danielle about how she got into the industry and found her place as a music photographer; read on for more!

It can be hard to imagine what the world was like before you entered it. It seems impossible to grasp the culture of the years before you were born, how people acted, dressed, and what they liked; movies and vintage pictures can help, but you can’t understand the phenomena that came before you unless you ask someone who was truly there in those moments.

In the winter of 2015, I opened up the Youtube homepage on my laptop. There were a few recommended videos, but one caught my eye: a cover of “She” by Dodie Clark, titled “They”. I clicked on it. For the next few minutes I listened to a lovely romantic song sung by a young musician named Berry Robertson. I noticed two things: there aren’t any gendered pronouns in the song (more on that in our interview!) and Berry is quite talented! I’d describe their style as raw and acoustic- not much editing or sound mixing, just a kid with a guitar and a beautiful voice. Read on to hear Berry’s thoughts on queer representation in music, their low-key (but amazing!) approach to songwriting, and their very best advice to new musicians! Continue reading →

Sean Lochridge is the creative force behind the psychedelic band, Imp of Perverse, as well as the drummer of the Austin, Texas band The Halfways. Imp of Perverse came about for the same reason most musicians start a solo project: they want something that is one hundred percent unique to themselves. Sean dives into his solo project with a mindset that is drenched in psychedelia, sprinkled with folk, and topped off with intricate drumming. I spoke with him recently about his foundations in music, the best live show he’s ever played, and some of his favorite bands.

Wes Anderson’s films have a way of pulling you into the story, whether through the plot, characters, aesthetic, or amazing soundtrack. This is a collection of some of the most iconic songs from Anderson’s movies as well as a few that I think he should consider for his next picture… I hope this playlist helps you channel your inner Margot Tenenbaum or Suzy Bishop. Enjoy!

Whether you are actually a senior or just a freshman in desperate need of a break, we all develop a little senioritis as it gets down to the last couple weeks of school. Lucky for you, I have curated 10 dreamy songs to get you through the last few tedious days of studying and launch you right into the summer! Listening to these songs, I see myself laying in my stuffy room, headphones in, a fan blowing in my face, without a care in the world. Start dreaming of summer now and enjoy these tunes for yourself on Spotify!

One of my favorite things to do is listening to songs in languages I don’t understand. Some people think it’s necessary to understand the lyrics in order to fully appreciate the music. But I think there’s something about listening to how the instruments sound, and how each of the words are being pronounced; that’s what makes it such an interesting experience. It forces you to give the song your own meaning and you don’t have to be right about it. After all, listening to music, to me, is a very personal experience. You are free to feel however you want to feel, and your interpretation is not limited to the lyrics; it’s about how the music makes you feel.

For the past couple of months, I’ve been really thinkin’ hard about the future of Sonic Blume– it turns out that it’s a LOT of work to run a zine by yourself (even with the amazing work that our contributors and readers send us!), and there’s absolutely no way I can continue on at this pace and in this digital format. I’ve considered a bunch of things- posting less, moving strictly to print, or even completely ending Sonic Blume (sooooo dramatic, I know.)

BUT BEHOLD! THE NEW SONIC BLUME!

This will mean that you, dear pal, shall receive 2 amazing ONLINE posts per week! We are still taking submissions for online posts, so no worries! Your platform is intact and ready, as always, for your genius.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

WHAT?! DID YOU READ THAT RIGHT? IS MY TERRIBLE ATTEMPT AT ANIMATION MARRING YOUR VISION?

YES! YOU DID READ IT CORRECTLY!

Also yes. You should probably see an ophthalmologist.

But for real, guys, Sonic Blume is going to be in print! Our first of many quarterly issues will be released this fall (late July to mid-August) and it’s gonna be AWESOME.

SONIC BLUME ISSUE #1 IS AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW! And it only costs $6 domestically (that is, for United States addresses), and $8 internationally, for shipping reasons. There are NO hidden shipping costs, ya’ll. So basically, for the price of a Subway $5 Footlong (including tax and like, some chips maybe?), you can have 20+ PAGES OF PURE MAGIC, INSPIRATION, AND THE COOLEST MUSIC #CONTENT AROUND DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR MAILBOX! Can you believe it?

If you’d like to contribute to the print zine, by all means, please do! Submit juuuust like normal, and I’ll get back with ya to let you know if it works for print. Can’t wait to hear from ya!

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Thank you all, times like, seven kajillion, for all of the love you’ve blasted Sonic Blume with for the past two months! It really is appreciated- this site would absolutely not be here without your contributions, whether they’ve been in the form of actual posts for the site or a sweet comment on our social media.